The Villa Lotus Demonstrates a Hotelier’s Passion

The Villa Lotus is located in Essaouria, just north of Agadir by about 170 kilometers. The project was conceived by Willem Smit, who had moved to Morocco to fill the role of general manager for Vanessa Branson’s El Fenn in Marrakech. At the El Fenn, Smit was in charge of the décor for each room. Smit took that experience and put together a stone and concrete villa that overlooks the Atlantic from a hilltop in the country.

Smit focused on keeping everything as simple as possible, including leaving the stone and timber work visible. The irregularity of it all, rather than being jarring in our modern world, is both soothing and relaxing, bringing in a sense of the natural to the villa. The central courtyard reveals an L-shaped infinity pool with a slatted wood roof for shade from the Moroccan sun. Inside, the natural feeling continues. Smit used earth tones for the majority of the decoration, keeping the feeling muted and restful. The floor plan includes an open kitchen and living room, a hammam (a Turkish bath) and three bedrooms with a fourth in the guest cottage. Smit included a touch of home with contemporary photography gracing the walls and his father’s army trunk. The kitchen counter and, interestingly, a couch are cast concrete (there are cushions to sit on).

The Villa Lotus is available to rent through Le Collectionist and is priced at 1,000 Euro per night.